If you would like a shot at winning an Amazon gift card so you can treat yourself to something sweet head on over to my Instagram for a shot at winning a gift card!
TGIF and I really do hope that everyone has a magical, fun-filled weekend! I am not sure yet what the weekend has in store for me. My little blogger buddy (Chloe) is heading up north in Michigan to spend two weeks with her Grandma Kathie. That gives me two fun-filled weeks of cooking and baking by myself in the kitchen. I can’t wait to see what the next two weeks have in store for me. I plan on being super duper crazy productive and make the most of it.
Do you have any fun plans this weekend? What will you be feasting upon? Anything delicious?
Heads up! National S’mores Day is August 10th this year. You can not celebrate the day without some delicious marshmallows. Look no further than to Smashmallow! I came across their marshmallows a few months back and fell in love with the delightful flavors that they have available. These are no ordinary marshmallows… these are next-level!
What are SmashMallows?
Smashmallows marshmallows are shaped like cubes and are light and fluffy. They make an excellent snack or are also excellent components in recipes that call for marshmallows. These little bites of bliss will take your taste buds on a trip to happiness and joy! The great thing about these marshmallows is that they are made with organic cane sugar, they are non-GMO, and they are naturally gluten-free. Also, each SmashMallow comes in at 20 calories per piece. 4 pieces are considered a serving so one serving size of this yummilicious treat comes in at only 80 calories.
Hey guys and gals! Going to make this post short and sweet because I already blogged today but I have to tell you all about my brinner (breakfast for dinner) that I shared with my daughter, Chloe! May I present to you (drumroll please) Cotton Candy Cloud Gluten-Free and Egg-Free Protein Pancakes! These cotton candy pancakes had the most fascinating taste and texture. It was like eating carnival food but it is healthy-ish!
Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Cotton Candy Cloud Protein Pancakes
Ingredients used in the Cotton Candy Cloud Pancakes
Here are some of the ingredients I used. Missing in the photo is the Lorann Cotton Candy Flavor Oil and the candy sprinkles I used. I used up the rest of that oil and now I have bubblegum flavor on the way. Oh my goodness!
Some of the ingredients used for the Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Cotton Candy Cloud Pancakes
Also, for added protein for the milk, we went with Bolthouse Farms Unsweetened Protein Plant Milk. An 8 oz serving of that milk has 10g of protein… woohoo!
Gotta have my candy sprinkles!
I mixed some sprinkles into the batter because why not? They are not going to kill me. I think the pancakes themselves are healthy so a little added sugar won’t hurt.
Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Cotton Candy Cloud Pancakes
Cotton Candy Cloud Protein Pancakes – Gluten-Free, Egg-Free
What I loved most about this pancakes were their light and fluffy texture and that is why I am calling them cotton candy clouds. I loved the lightness of these pancakes and they tasted marvelous. I am really proud of the outcome of this recipe I came up with. My only regret is not making enough for both of us, and we had to share this plate. I’m greedy and I wanted my own plate!
What do you enjoy for brinner (breakfast for dinner)? Are you more into sweet or more into savory? My brinners are almost always sweet.
Want to learn more about the products used to create these cotton candy pancakes?
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. THIS HELPS MAKE FOR A BETTER BLOG EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF MY READERS. ALL PROCEEDS GO TOWARDS MAKING IMPROVEMENTS ON THIS BLOG.
Summer may be winding down here but when is it ever a bad idea to enjoy a homemade frozen treat? Never! Making my own popsicles at home is a new venture for me. I have dilly-dallied around with making my own ice-cream on occasion and found that to be a fun experience. Making homemade popsicles is an easy treat to prepare and I can even have my 8-year-old daughter, Chloe help me out with this project. In this post I will be discussing the Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker.
Kombucha popsicle with passion fruit and blueberries
Chloe with her dragon fruit popsicle
Zoku has a product line that includes popsicle-making kits. I had the opportunity to try out the Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker and also the Zoku Character Kit. You can enjoy your homemade popsicles in as little as 7-8 minutes. In order for this to work, you must place the Quick Pop Maker (the inner core) in the freezer overnight. Once this has been in the freezer for at least 8+ hours you pour your desired juice into the popsicle maker with the popsicle stick in place. It is so wonderful to have a product like this so you can conveniently whip up a tasty frozen treat in a matter of minutes. Need a healthy dessert? No problem! Having this quick and easy device on hand will produce that nutritious dessert that you desire.
Zoku Duo Quick Pop MakerZoku Character Kit
Check out the video below to see how simple the Quick Pop Maker is to use!
The Zoku Character Kit includes several stencils that you use with sliced fruit to make fun faces on your popsicles. Honestly, we found this quite difficult to do because the popsicle opening is not very wide and fruit needs to be razor thin in order for it to be placed inside.
You start out by using the stencils on your fruit. You then apply the cutouts to the face plate. The next step is to place the frozen Quick Pop Maker on the stand and insert face place. Press the face plate up against the top side of the mold and hold for 15-30 seconds. You then remove the face plate and pour in your favorite fruit juice after you put the popsicle stick into position. Allow the pops to freeze for at least 8 minutes.
My favorite pop that I created was made by using fresh passion fruit and also a bit of Juice From The Raw‘s Passion Fruit Cleanser juice. Making that particular pop is simple and easy. What I did was scooped the guts out of the passion fruit and placed it on the little green board (faceplate) and then inserted it inside the pop maker (while pop maker is in vertical position) and pressed the board up for 30 seconds to get the fruit in place. After your fruit is inside the pop maker place the pop maker in an upright position, place the popsicle stick in place, and then gently and carefully pour the juice inside. There is a fill line inside of the pop maker. I can not stress this enough but do not let your juice contents go above that fill line because you will have a very difficult time removing that pop. I had my juice go very very slightly above that fill line and ran into a problem removing it.
Passion Fruit PopsicleKevita Kombucha Blueberry Passion Fruit PopsicleSvelte Vanilla Protein Shake PopsicleSvelte Vanilla Protein Shake Popsicle
My overall opinion of the popsicle maker was that it was a little finicky to get it to work properly. There is a learning curve to this. It takes a lot of trial and error to get the popsicle to come out correctly. We were not successful at producing a popsicle with a fun face with the character kit. I just could not get the fruit sliced thin enough to go into the cavity. However and despite all of this it was very fun to use and a fascinating project for my daughter to work on. Teamwork and creativity resulted in some tasty frozen treats!
If you feel inclined to give this a whirl I have added the links to these items. They can all be found on Amazon.
DISCLAIMER: Zoku sent me these products to review. All opinions stated here are my own. This is my honest review. Also, this post contains Amazon affiliate links. I receive a small commission if items are purchased through those links.
This morning I would love to share with you about my experience with the Wilton Easy Layers cake set and how I made my gluten-free cotton candy cake. I blogged about this cake pan set on a recent Friday Faves post and I ended up ordering myself one and I am so happy that I did. I ended up creating the best cake I have ever made in my life yesterday! I am truly proud of it and I was happy to serve it to my mother, who came over for a t-bone steak dinner. The cake that I made was the most perfect dessert to serve to her and she fell in love with it. And of course, my daughter, Chloe, was absolutely in love with this cake. She assisted me in making it and it is always a joy to work alongside her in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen.
Cotton Candy CakeMe in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen
Here is how I made my gluten-free Cotton Candy Cake
Here is how I used Wilton Easy Layers Cake Pan Set
The Wilton Easy Layers contains 5 pans that are 6 inches in diameter. They are pretty shallow pans. They have a non-stick coating but I still sprayed mine with a bit of coconut oil just in case I had a problem with my cake sticking. The pans will fill up one standard size serving of cake batter. These cake pans will also all, conveniently, fit inside the oven at the same time due to their small size.
Wilton Easy Layers cake pan setWilton Easy Layer cake pan set
Most of the ingredients I used
Pamela’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix
The cake itself was made with a gluten-free mix by Pamela’s. I used Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix. I have used this mix once before for cupcakes and I was very satisfied with the taste and texture. What I also love about the gluten-free mix is that it is non-GMO, uses no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup.
Lorann’s Cotton Candy flavor oil
I achieved the cotton candy flavoring using a bottle of Lorann’s Cotton Candy Flavoring Oil. This was my first time using a flavoring oil of this kind and I heard that a little bit can go a long way but I ended up having to use about half of the bottle to get the flavor I was going for. I really enjoyed the flavor of this, though it was not exactly like cotton candy. I will have to explore other flavor oils and extracts from this brand because I am just not a plain vanilla person.
Lorann Cotton Candy Flavor Oil
How I created the frosting for this cotton candy cake
For the frosting, I decided to go with a homemade buttercream. I had a fridge full of different kinds of butter from Chef Shamy so I gave the Honey Butter Vanilla Bean a whirl. Chef Shamy serves up a high-quality butter with no weird ingredients… just pure butter. It is also gluten-free. This particular vanilla flavor produced the most glorious buttercream I have ever whipped up. I used Simple Truth Organic Powdered Sugar with the butter and a few splashes of almond milk. The flavor of this buttercream was out of this world. If I had to give myself a grade it would be an A+. It really was that great!
Chef Shamy Honey Butter Vanilla Bean
Coloring the cotton candy cake
Now let’s get on with the color. Yes, this time around I was naughty and used artificial colors… GASP! It’s true that I did. I’m not proud but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and YOLO! I used Betty Crocker’s Neon Gel Food Colors for the pink and the purple. Gel food coloring is some pretty potent and powerful stuff. They really do produce gorgeous coloring on your creations. I don’t know why but for the neon pack they do not include the color blue, so for that, I used a Kroger brand neon blue. I am so pleased with how the colors turned out!
Cotton Candy CakeCotton Candy Cake
A ton of candy to top it all off!
And for that gorgeous candy that is all over the cake? I created my own mix of sprinkles with several different brands. The sprinkles with the big bits are pieces of candy that were from Celebrations By Frey. My local Kroger store sells them but I can not locate them on Amazon. The bottle of sprinkles is titled MixLicious.
Cotton Candy CakeCotton Candy Cake
Final thoughts on this gluten-free cotton candy cake
I am super duper pleased as pie (or should I say “cake”) with how this cake turned out and I was proud to serve it to my family. It really did taste as good as it looks. I am not a professional baker so I am aware that the cake is a little sloppy but I am always working towards bettering myself as a chef and as a baker.
This cake was so incredibly fun to make with my daughter and I could do this every single day if I had the funds (and if I wanted to be on 600lb Life). I am going to definitely be working on more cakes in the future and I might even get brave and give fondant a try. I love the way fondant cakes look. They are edible art! The beautiful cakes that I see on Instagram and on food blogs are so inspiring.
Slice of Cotton Candy CakeSlice of Cotton Candy CakeSlice of Cotton Candy CakeCotton Candy CakeCotton Candy CakeCotton Candy CakeSlice of gluten-free Cotton Candy Cake
So tell me… what is your favorite flavor of cake? Leave me a comment and let me know. Would love to hear from my readers. Comments always brighten up my day.
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Find out more about the brands I used to create this cotton candy cake!
For the past couple of days I have been trying out this Primal Kitchen Vanilla Coconut Collagen Fuel. I am really loving this mix and it goes well stirred into coffee, mixed with unsweetened almond milk in a smoothie, or it makes one hell of an awesome smoothie bowl as I will explain below. The taste is incredible as well, which is sometimes hard to come across with a protein powder. Today I will be talking about Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel and how versatile it is.
First off a little bit of info on Primal Kitchen’sCollagen Fuel. This product contains healthy fats from the coconut and it promotes healthy hair, skin, nails, joints, and also helps repair muscle. This Collagen Fuel is also packed with a whopping 10 grams of protein per 1 scoop serving. If Vanilla Coconut is not your jam they do offer the Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel in a delicious chocolate flavor. Each tub of Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel will give your 24 individual servings.
Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel Smoothie Bowl
Many protein powders on the market contain whey. This mix does not contain any whey, soy, or dairy and it is perfect for those on a paleo diet. You know you are getting a quality product from Primal Kitchen because they only source ingredients from cows that are grass-fed.
The great thing about this Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel for me is that it helps promote a healthy gut. It had prebiotic fibers in it. I have been doing more research on health and I am hearing more and more about how important our gut health is and that a gut that is off balance can through your whole system out of whack.
I hope you enjoy this delicious and nutritious smoothie bowl recipe that I came up with for you. This was perfect for a Tried It Tuesday post because not only is the Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel new to me but so was the guava. This past weekend was the first time I ever brought home a guava fruit.
Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel Bowl w/ Dragon Fruit and Guava
RECIPE (makes two servings)
Ingredients:
2 frozen bananas
1/2 of a dragon fruit (I used a golden pitaya in mine)
Frozen banana, dragonfruit, and guava fruit1 scoop of Collagen Fuel Vanilla Coconut
Recipe:
Place frozen banana, 1/2 of your dragon fruit, the flesh of the guava, and your full-fat coconut milk and blend until smooth
Pour smoothie mix into 2 bowls and top with unsweetened coconut flakes, kiwi fruit slices and dragon fruit slices.
Eat and enjoy!
Primal Kitchen Collagen Bowl w/ Dragon Fruit and GuavaCollagen Bowl w/ Dragon Fruit and GuavaPrimal Kitchen Collagen Bowl w/ Dragon Fruit and GuavaPrimal Kitchen Collagen Bowl w/ Dragon Fruit and Guava
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Let me know if you try the recipe!
Are you familiar with Primal Kitchen Foods? What would you love to have from their online store? Leave me a comment and let me know what you are crushing on!
If you would love to save some money on your next Primal Kitchen purchase please use my
I always try to make my Sundays all about awesome food. I always make a big deal about Sunday supper. It has to be something special. It needs to be mindblowing. I also like to prepare some sort of brunch for us. Yesterday was a success and I achieved pretty much everything that I wanted to. We had homemade baked donuts in the morning, tender & juicy t-bone steaks for dinner and an ice-cream sundae at Wally’s Frozen Custard large enough to feed an elephant! Keep reading to find out more about this ice-cream shop in my Wally’s Frozen Custard review!
Sugar Booger Homemade Donuts
The morning kicked off with what I am calling, “Sugar Booger Donuts”. Natural food coloring is weird. Green often achieves its color with spirulina, which is a superfood blue-green algae substance. Did you know that Fruity Pebbles are gluten-free? They sure are so these donuts were gluten-free for the win! Here is the part that killed them for me though, for this recipe I tried out Stevia to sweeten them. Usually, in my baking, I stick with raw money or pure maple syrup, or if I have to I will use coconut sugar. The Stevia was a big turn-off to me with the final product. While edible, they just were not as delicious as the other natural sweeteners that I use.
For fun, I made a glaze for the donuts and topped them with Fruity Pebbles, which is a cereal that I avoid having in my pantry. I bought a little individual serving size tub for a dollar at Kroger just for the sake of using them as donut topping. My daughter was in shock to see Fruity Pebbles in the house. Sugary, processed cereals are a big no over here. I had mixed feelings about using them as a topping too. They are like eating pure sugar. Way too sweet for me. I still do want to try a Lucky Charms topped donut someday. I might enjoy that more since that was my favorite cereal while I was a little girl.
Sounds like I am hating on my donuts here. I kinda sorta am. I am definitely going to whip up some coconut flour vanilla donuts again but totally steer clear of the Stevia. I can usually tolerate Stevia in my Zevia soda but it just didn’t agree with me in baking.
Green donuts before going in the ovenGreen Donuts with Fruity Pebbles – AKA Sugar BoogerGreen Donuts with Fruity Pebbles – AKA Sugar BoogerWeirdly colored Green donuts with Fruity Pebbles – AKA Sugar Booger
Coffee Cardamon Steaks For Dinner
Nothing special happened for lunch over here. We just snacked on some fruits. By the time 4 o’clock rolled around my tummy was growling and hangry! It might have been growling so loudly because it knew that I had t-bone steaks in the fridge. I took the steaks out and prepared a rub for them. I really wanted to try out something new with my steaks. For the spice rub I used a recipe from Do You Even Paleo. This paleo rub was superb and I would not change a single thing about it! It uses ground coffee, cardamom, coconut sugar, paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger, and salt & pepper.
I picked up a bag of baby rainbow carrots at Nino Salvaggio’s a couple days ago and I prepared them with a cardamom ghee (clarified butter). I love roasted carrots with a raw honey drizzle on them but I also wanted to try something new with the carrots. Really wanted to go for some brand new flavors last night.
T-bone steak with coffee cardamom rub
T-bone steak with coffee cardamom rub and mini rainbow carrots with cardamom ghee
After I had the rub on the steaks for awhile I heated up some ghee on my cast iron grill pan. I threw them on and heard that lovely sizzle! I cooked them medium rare, which in my humble opinion, is the only way to eat a steak. Steak needs to have that pink center. I took the steaks off the pan after I grilled each side for a few minutes and then let them rest for a few minutes.
I will tell you this… these steaks came out absolutely perfect! Everything about this steak was spot on. They were so tender and juicy and the flavor from the rub was extraordinary. I loved these steaks so much I am pretty sure we will be eating them the same way again tomorrow. Kroger had value packs of t-bone steaks on sale so we ended up getting four biggies for a great price.
Coffee and cardamom t-bone steak with cardamom carrots and zucchiniCoffee & cardamom steak medium rare
Chloe and I were supposed to bake a layer cake yesterday but it never happened. I have Amazon Prime and unfortunately, an extract that I had ordered did not arrive when promised. So our cake is put on hold until that extract shows up.
Wally’s Frozen Custard Review
Me and Joe took a trip to Wally’s Frozen Custard one weekend while Chloe was away at her grandparent’s home. We ordered the gargantuan 911 sundae. No way we could finish it all but I wanted to visit this place with my daughter so she could witness this huge sundae.
Wally’s Frozen Custard is located in St Clair Shores, MI and it is one of the most happening spots to grab a frozen treat! It has a very unique look and it appears to be like a fire station. They have plenty of tables outdoors so you can enjoy your frozen custard and enjoy the beautiful weather. They have a fantastic menu to choose from and offer something for everyone. And get this~ you can even order BREAKFAST at Wally’s Frozen Custard. For breakfast, a few things you can choose from are oatmeal, bagels, and muffins.
The 911 sundae is a steal at $9.11 at Wally’s Frozen Custard and is the most perfect sweet treat for sharing. There is definitely enough to go around for a family. It includes 9 dollops of frozen custard, 9 different toppings (the hard shell is hands down my favorite topping), whipped cream & maraschino cherry.
Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 Sundae
Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 Sundae
Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 Sundae
The Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 SundaeMe with my Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 Sundae
If you would love to give Wally’s Frozen Custard a whirl you can find some money-saving coupons on their website. Just click HERE.
Hope you all had an enjoyable weekend full of good eats and tasty treats. Weekends for me are a time to splurge and indulge in whatever my heart desires. I eat healthy all week long and the weekend is a time for me to cut loose a bit.
Question Time! Did you eat anything marvelous over the weekend? I am so curious so please leave me a comment and tell me about it!
Find out more about Wally’s Frozen Custard in St. Clair Shores!
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I do receive a small commission if items are purchased through those links. Proceeds help make this blog a better blog experience for my readers.
Yesterday was an enjoyable day spent with family. We went to the beach, had from-scratch pizzas, and had a couple of smoothies for dessert. It was another full day in the kitchen making things for my family to gobble up.
The day kicked off with my paleo and vegan version of Unicorn French Toast for my family. I promise I will do a recipe post on this in the future. I just need to tweak my recipe a bit. I had an unfortunate situation happen with my loaf of bread when I got it out of the pan. My bread broke into pieces. I was determined not to let it go to waste so I just ended up dipping the chunks of bread into the batter and cooked it up that way. This was my first time ever using candy sprinkles from Mr. Sprinkles. I sure do love the fun bottle that they are contained in. I am, and have always been, down with clowns!
Unicorn French Toast with Mr. Sprinkles
I had quite an amazing lunch too. I really had a hankering for apples. I don’t know about you but I am ready for fall! I want hoodie weather, apple picking, and Halloween to hurry up and get here soon! For lunch, I tried out a new salad dressing. I used Hilary’s Apple Fennel Dressing. For my salad, I used baby spring mix as a base and topped it with grilled chicken, thin Honeycrisp apple slices, and walnuts. This salad was exactly what I needed yesterday. I think I will be loading up on some apples with my next shopping trip.
Chicken Salad with apples and Hilary’s Apple Fennel dressing
Chicken Salad with apples and Hilary’s Apple Fennel dressing
After lunch, we packed up the beach bag and got Stormy ready to head out to Metro Beach for a day of fun and relaxation. Chloe and Joe went to the pool and Stormy and I made our way along the lake and got our steps in yesterday. My focus was on fitness because I have been somewhat slacking on meeting my step goal lately.
It was a very hot day yesterday and thank goodness for the little bit of breeze coming off of the water. Stormy and I had a great time together and I know that Chloe definitely had a blast in the big pool and slide with her daddy.
I must be getting old because yesterday I wore an inspirational shirt and I think that maybe old people do that?? LOL! I am 37 years old and I whine about aging quite a bit. Anyway, I sure do love the shirt. I got it from Nordstrom and it is gray with pink lettering on it. The shirt is by the brand Desert Dreamer.
I feel that the shirt really speaks volumes to me at the moment. It says, find what you love and do that”. I started this blog up on June 6th so my 2 month anniversary is approaching and let me tell you this~ I absolutely LOVE blogging! I really wish I would have gotten into this years ago when I first set out on my cooking and baking expedition. As many of you know, cooking and baking are hands down my #1 passion in life. I am always in the kitchen and I am always researching ways to better my food and technique.
Me and Joe at Metro Beach
Me and Stormy at Metro Beach
Chloe and Joe at Metro Beach
Stormy at Metro Beach
After our little day-trip to the beach, it was time for me to crank out dinner for the fam. I will let you in on a little something, my pizza is in high-demand! Joe and Chloe absolutely love my homemade pizzas. They are a lot of work but totally worth the time and effort when I hear ooo’s and ahh’s at the dinner table.
Just me playing with my balls
I created two pizzas last night. One was made for myself and the other for Joe and Chloe. They prefer a more traditional pizza with pepperoni on it. I have never been a fan of pepperoni but I sure do love to have mushrooms in every single bite of my pizza.
I had a little carton of shiitake mushrooms to work with. I figured I would be better off with some sort of white sauce rather than a tomato sauce. I searched a bit online for a good recipe and came across one from Primal Palate. It was a dairy free sauce that used full-fat coconut milk as the base. Honestly, you would never know the sauce was made with coconut milk! There is not one hint of coconut flavor in that awesome sauce recipe. The recipe also called for some nutritional yeast, which I did add because it lends a taste of cheese to the sauce.
For my pizza I used some grilled chicken pieces and the entire carton of shiitake mushrooms. I sauteed the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil with some Italian seasonings. I have never had a pizza with this type of mushrooms and I am pleased to say that the taste of this pizza was glorious! Every single morsel of that pizza was thoroughly enjoyed by me!
For both pizzas I used the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Crust Mix once again. I used it last week and it produced a phenomenal crust! I am trying to eliminate as much gluten as I can from my diet but Joe and Chloe really don’t want to be on-board with a gluten-free diet. It is like hitting the jackpot when you come up with a gluten-free dinner that can win over anyone.
Shiitake mushroom and grilled chicken pizza
Shiitake mushroom and grilled chicken pizza
Shiitake mushroom and grilled chicken pizza
Gluten free pepperoni pizza
Gluten free pepperoni pizza
For dessert I really had a craving for some froyo, it’s been awhile and I’m dying for a heaping cup of it. But we have a bevy of beautiful fruits over here in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen so instead of froyo I ended up making a couple of smoothies for me and Chloe to share.
The first smoothie I made had a golden dragonfruit in it, a banana, and a splash of full fat coconut milk. The second smoothie that I made had strawberries, raspberries, a baby banana, splash of coconut milk, and I also used a scoop of acai powder. Hard to say which smoothie won the battle of being best. It was like comparing apples to oranges, they were two completely different drinks.
The weekend isn’t over. Joe’s two days off from work are over though and he had to go in today. Me and the Pearl Girl have an exciting day ahead of us in the kitchen so stayed tuned because you can bet your booty I will be blogging about my day today!
Did you do anything exciting this weekend? What’s cooking in your kitchen that you are proud of? Leave me a comment and let me know because I love reading comments from my beloved readers!
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN. ANY COMMISSION I RECEIVE IS USED TO BETTER YOUR BLOG EXPERIENCE HERE.
My husband has Fridays and Saturdays off work for the time being. We spent the early part of the day cleaning and tidying up our house, it was long overdue. I love spending quality time with my family. Joe leaves for work early in the morning and works long hours so we do not get to see him much during the week. We had an awesome day full of good eats and a little trip to Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace.
My daughter and I were also spending more time working on a product review for a popsicle maker. We have been having a blast experimenting with the pop maker. She was so happy yesterday when I gave her a vanilla protein popsicle that I had made with Svelte’s vanilla shake and a few candy sprinkles. You can see her joy for this pop in the image below.
Svelte Pops!
Kiwano Horned Melon
Chloe was happy to also have a kiwano horned melon to nosh on yesterday. We mistakingly got 3 of them in an Instacart order and they let us keep them. They were supposed to be cactus pears. When I called up to inform them that I received the wrong item they sent the wrong item to me AGAIN. They ended up giving me golden dragon fruits. I am going to assume that the Instacart shoppers are a little baffled on an order that involves exotic fruits because they never got that order right.
Chloe eating the kiwano horned melon
Kiwano horned melon
Sy Thai in St. Clair Shores
We were all craving something spicy last night so we decided we would go to one of our favorite Thai restaurants~ Sy Thai in St Clair Shores, MI. We have been visiting this spot for several years now and we can always rely on the food being fresh and delicious!
We decided we would order a lychee bubble drink and all share. Sy Thai is known for making gigantic bubble drinks. The one we received yesterday may have been the largest one we received to date. It was huge.
Another thing that I love about Sy Thai is their soups that come with the dinner. Many Thai restaurants do not include soups with the dinners. We had hot and sour soup yesterday and me and Joe loved it. My daughter, on the other hand, did not care for it. Hot and sour soup is really not a kid-friendly soup. It has a taste that is hard to describe.
I wanted to try something new yesterday. I also knew that I needed to have some kind of noodle dish. I am a huge fan of Thai basil and I usually enjoy ordering the drunken noodle but I ended up trying out the Karee Basil Noodle. Joe ordered his usual Pad Thai. That is the dish he often goes with. I really enjoyed the flavor of my dish but the rice noodles in there were so thick they were almost like dumplings. I have never in my life had noodles that were that thick!
Sy Thai menu
Sy Thai lychee bubble drink
Sy Thai lychee bubble drink
Sy Thai hot & sour soup
Sy Thai Karee Basil Noodle and Pad Thai
Our Trip To Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace in St. Clair Shores
After our dinner, we wanted to do a bit of shopping at Nino Salvaggio’s. We visited the smaller location in St Clair Shores since that one is the closest to our home. I did not really have any idea what I wanted to come home with. I was pretty much just on a mission to challenge myself to find something new and unusual to take home.
The first thing that really caught my eye when I walked in to Nino Salvaggio’s was the fresh green figs. Oh man… I sure do love my figs. I love the red and green. Nino’s had the green ones in stock so I grabbed a few. I would have loved a whole case but my wallet said no.
Fresh green figs at Nino Salvaggio’s
Cactus pears at Nino Salvaggio’s
Forelle pears at Nino Salvaggio’s
Exotic fruits at Nino Salvaggio’s
Exotic fruits at Nino Salvaggio’s
Baby bananas
I was hoping to find some purple carrots while I was at Nino Salvaggio’s. I have a newfound love for them. I did locate a bag of mini rainbow organic carrots and I could not pass that up. They will make a great side dish for one of my dinners this week. I love roasted carrots with some raw honey drizzled on top. So damn good!
Me and Chloe have been eating a ton of fruit lately, and I mean a lot! We ended up taking home a few interesting fruits that were brand spankin new to us: baby bananas, Forelle pears, guava, midnight rose apriums, and yellow plums.
You can see my haul from Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace in the images that follow. Some people get excited about buying new clothes, buying new makeup, or buying a new video game. I get most excited about buying new food!
Fresh fruit haul from Nino Salvaggio’sMy little haul from Nino Salvaggio’s
And wowza!~ Nino Salvaggio’s sure has a fantastic bakery. I did not get this cake but it sure looks drool-worthy to me! They have an amazing array of sweets and treats to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Cake from Nino Salvaggio’s
The first fruit that we tried last night from Nino Salvaggio’s was the midnight rose apriums. These are a hybrid fruit that is a mix of plums and apricots. They had a nice firm texture and also a nice rosy hue for the flesh. As far as the taste goes, they were quite sweet but not overly sweet. They had the perfect amount of sweetness to them. I purchased four of these fruits and I do really wish I had more.
After we came home and unloaded the groceries it was time to pick up more food. We had a ClickList order waiting for us at Kroger. Ahhhhhh I sure do love grocery pick up day. At the end of the week the fridge and pantry starts getting bare. I love bringing home my groceries and seeing a fridge and freezer packed to the gills with stuff!
Ticklebelly Pops
I put a fancy little dessert on our grocery list. I have had my eye on these for quite some time now. I got the TickleBelly Carnival Cotton Candy bars. They are cake pops dipped in a cotton candy shell. Oh, sweet heavens were these delish! Our Kroger has a cute display inside of mermaid-ish items and these were part of the display. My whole family loved these. There are 4 in a pack and we each had one. We will all have to fight over who gets the last one! I am definitely going to hunt down more flavors of these bars and give them a whirl ASAP!
Today is now Saturday and I am unsure of what the day has in store for us. Maybe the beach with my rescue dog, Stormy? I am also not sure of what we will be feasting upon for dinner tonight. It will likely be steak or another from-scratch pizza. Whatever I do end up making tonight will be fun. I am sure of that!
Do you have any fun plans this weekend? Have you recently tried a new food and fell in love. Let me know in the comments. I sure would love to hear from you. Comments always brighten my day over here!
I have a confession to make. I am addicted to my donut pan! I picked one up last weekend at Mile’s Cake and Candy Supplies in Clinton Township and I am so glad that I did. It is so much fun to work in the kitchen with my daughter making these healthy-ish gluten-free baked donuts. I went with a 6-cavity donut pan from Wilton. Wilton is a trusted source when it comes to baking supplies so I felt very confident purchasing this pan for the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. I did not use this pan for the recipe below but it would be best going with this pan. I used a flexible heart-shaped silicone mold with the donuts in the recipe and they were difficult to remove from the mold. So trust me here, go with a Wilton pan. You will thank me later. The cooking times are the same for either pan.
Wilton 6-cavity donut pan
We went a little overboard decorating these devil’s food donuts. We gave these donuts a generous sprinkling from 3 different jars of rainbow sprinkles. Why? Because variety is the spice of life. Gotta have my sprinkles right?!! We did not eat these sugar skulls, they were just for decoration.
Instead of using an actual egg we created our own “eggs” with ground flaxseed. For these you place 4 tablespoons of flax in a coffee grinder and grind them up. When these 4 tablespoons of ground flax are married to a half-cup of water this results in an egg-like mixture. Just whisk away and wallahh… flax eggs! They are vegan and paleo friendly. You can also do the same with chia seeds. So if you are ever out of eggs just bust out your flax or your chia and make your own eggs!
Devil’s Food Chocolate Vegan & Gluten Free DonutsSome of the ingredients I used and also a heart-shaped donut pan from FoodStirs
1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
1 tablespoon coconut oil.
Your flax “egg” will have an egg-like consistency after soaking in water a few minutes.
Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
While oven is heating up prepare your flax “eggs”. Place 4 tablespoons of flaxseed into a coffee grinder and grind them up. Place grounded up flax into a bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Whisk it up. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and it will get an egg-like texture.
Work on dry ingredients first. Place coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt into your stand mixer and mix until well combined.
Now for the wet ingredients… add your flax “egg” mixture, coconut oil (1/3 cup), and maple syrup. Mix until well incorporated.
Fill donut pan cavities up 2/3 of a way to the top of the mold. They will puff up while baking in the oven.
Bake for 16-18 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove donuts from the oven and allow to cool.
Prepare your chocolate glaze by placing 1/2 cups of chocolate chip and 1 tablespoon of coconut into a bowl. Microwave in 15-second increments. Continue stirring the chocolate and oil until completely melted.
Dip your donut in the glaze. Allow it to see a few minutes for the glaze to set up.
Eat and enjoy!
Devil’s Food Chocolate Vegan & Gluten Free Donuts
Have you ever made your own homemade baked donuts? How do you enjoy yours? Do you think this is something you would like to try? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from you!
If you are interested in creating your donuts you can pick them up at Amazon.
Wilton 6 Cavity Donut Pan
Wilton 6 Cavity Donut Pan 2 Pack
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.
Baking is hard. Not just hard but difficult. I get a vision in my mind and I want to create it. I know exactly how I want it to look and exactly how I want it to taste. Does my wish for this charming and glamourous cake become a reality for? Kinda sorta in this case. It looks so very amateurish and you want to know why? I am an amateur. I am a newbie on the food scene. I am a food blogger but I never tout myself as being a professional in any sort of way. For me, this blog is about the whole entire learning process of cooking and baking and food exploration. I am completely self-taught and I am learning something new every single day on this journey. Today I baked a bubblegum cake. I had that vision in my mind. However, things did not go exactly as planned.
Let’s see here… my buttercream was way too thin and runny and it was just DROOLING off the sides of the cake. I had a brand new, nifty smoothing spatula that I thought would result in perfect icing… nope! I knew my buttercream was too thin and I didn’t have any powdered sugar left to stiffen and thicken up. Cries! So a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I had to work with what I had on hand and make the most of an unfortunate situation.
Here is how I created this bubblegum cake!
Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix
Today I will sharing my experience and Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix review with you. Another key product that I used in this cake was Lorann’s bubblegum flavor. Keep reading to find out more about this bubblegum cake I created!
Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started
Ingredients used for gluten-free cake
For this cake, I used a cake mix. I am in love with Pamela’s Classic Vanilla Cake Mix. This was my second time using this mix and I am so pleased to say that this is a fabulous mix. The last time I used this mix I made a Gluten-Free Cotton Candy Cake. Click this LINK to learn more about that. It was scrumptious!
How I got the bubblegum flavor with Lorann’s Oils
This was my second time using Lorann’s Oils to flavor my cake. This time around I used the bubblegum flavor. This oil is potent stuff and a little bit goes a long way. My house sure smelled bubblegummy from baking this cake. What a wonderful scent! I have never experienced a scent like that in my home before. Just marvelous! I wish my house stunk like bubblegum all day every day!
How I colored the bubblegum cake
I used a rose and teal color to dye my cake. I am in love with the color teal and I was really impressed with how vibrant the color was and that is was actually teal and not just blue! The rose color also lent a stunning pink color to the cake. Yeah yeah… artificial colors. I really don’t know what’s come over me. I try to go natural as much as possible and I’ve been slipping up recently but I’m really just having so much fun!
Topping the bubblegum cake
If you are wondering where the candy is from I will fill you in. I made a pit stop over at Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream specifically for the candy on this cake. I love that store. You can read more about my first time visiting by clicking this link right over HERE. If you ever visit please let them know that Give It A Whirl Girl sent you! I know I have already inspired at least one of my friends to check out that place. I got my gorgeous, pearlescent gumballs there. I knew what I needed and was able to grab exactly what I needed from the bins. I am also so very grateful that I grabbed a pink lollipop to put smack dab in the center of my cake. A 5-tier layer cake needs support and the lollipop helped to be a dowel of sorts to prevent it from slipping away on me. The sprinkles came from a couple places: Michael’s and Mile’s Cake and Candy Supply. I got a delightful jar of Wilton Diamond Medley from Michael’s (woohoo and thank goodness for those coupons). The little rainbow hearts were from Mile’s. They have a wide variety of sprinkles to choose from
Gumballs and candy sprinkles – so pretty!
Sprinkles and gumballs – eye candy candy!
Sugarfina was an extra splurge!
And to make it a little more extra special I also topped it with Sugarfina Fruity Loops. They came from the Sugarfina Cereal Collection that I treated myself too. They are to die for yummy yummy yummy!
Having fun is what matters most!
You know what? Even though my cake looks like it was made by an inept and unskilled baker I am really truly proud of it. I wish I could send a virtual slice of this cake through your screen because the taste would blow your mind. I am calling this cake, Let’s Get The Party Started”. There is no party happening here… not a party in sight. But you know what I want to celebrate today? Life! I have been feeling incredible the past two months since I started this food blog. I feel so revived and renewed. I feel like a whole new better ME. That is enough reason for me to bake a cake and celebrate! I’m also going to give myself an A for effort because I really did work my booty off on this creation!
Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party StartedBubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party StartedBubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started
Slice of Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party StartedSlice of Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started
Hope you all enjoyed this pretty long post about my bubblegum cake!
What are you going to celebrate today? Could be anything. Drop me a comment and let me know and let’s get the party started OK?
You might also love this post! CLICK THE IMAGE!
Cotton Candy Cake CLICK ME TO READ MORE
Here are some other posts at Give It A Whirl Girl that I think you will enjoy!
You all know me! Trying out new foods all the time. This time around I had the chance to try out a plantain for the first time, AKA the “ugly bananas”! I ran into Kroger with my daughter to pick up some ingredients for some homemade popsicles that I will be creating this week. We were checking out the exotic fruits and a big plantain made its way into my shopping basket. I only purchased one. I had no clue what I was going to do with it but I wanted to bring it home anyway. I got home and did a bit of research on plantains. You do not want to eat these things raw. I did discover that these are best prepared cooked because if you bite into a raw one you are going to experience a bitter taste. You will not get sick eating a raw one but you will likely regret the taste in your mouth! I needed to figure out a plan of action with the plantain. I was sent a variety pack of SmashMallows to review. I already have a special recipe post drafted up for National S’mores Day (August 10th) featuring these yummy marshmallows. So I figured I could somehow incorporate the Cinnamon Churro flavor with the plantain. I made a roasted s’mores banana earlier this year and it turned out fantastic! I had the idea to use my plantain with the SmashMallows and roast it all up. I sprinkled some unsweetened coconut on it and a bit of cinnamon and cardamom.
I could not wait to tear into this when it popped out of the oven! I really enjoyed the taste of the plantain combined with the SmashMallows. After roasting the plantain for 13 minutes it had softened and was the perfect texture to eat.
Ingredients:
1 plantain
6-8 Cinnamon Churro SmashMallows (or as many as you can cram inside!)
Tablespoon of unsweetened coconut
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Sprinkle of cardamom
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Slice the plantain down the middle but not completely. Leave a little space at top & bottom.
Stuff the plantain with the SmashMallows. I used a teaspoon along the sides to spread it open.
Top with unsweetened coconut, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Place the stuffed plantain onto a baking sheet or pan and wrap it up with foil, leaving an opening at the top.
Roast for 13 minutes (or until the SmashMallows get a golden crust on them).
Enjoy!
Cinnamon Churro SmashMallow Stuffed Plantain before roastingCinnamon Churro SmashMallow Stuffed Plantain after roastingCinnamon Churro SmashMallow Stuffed Plantain after roasting
This sure was a great dessert for my daughter and me to share. Of course, she loved the ooey, gooey toasted marshmallow part the most. I ended up being the one to eat most of the plantain. That was perfectly fine with me. I am really happy that I finally gave the “ugly banana” a whirl. I have seen those plantains around for ages and have always been so curious about them.
Tidbits of information on the plantain:
1 medium cooked plantain contains approximately 230 calories.
1 medium plantain has appx. 4.6 grams of fiber.
Plantains are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and potassium.
Plantains come from several parts of the world: West & Central Africa, the Caribbean Islands, Central America, and coastal parts of South America.
If you are following a paleo diet plantains are ok to eat. They are starchy but considered a good source of carbohydrates.
When the plantain gets brown/black it is at its peak stage of ripeness. This is when it is the most sweet.
SmashMallows source organic cane sugar to make their marshmallows.
SmashMallows are ok to eat if you are on a gluten-free diet.
They do not contain any GMO ingredient.
They do not contain any corn syrup, artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, or preservatives.
There are 80 calories in 4 SmashMallows.
You can find the Cinnamon Churro SmashMallows on Amazon:
Or why not try a variety pack?!!
Have you ever tried a plantain? How do you like to serve yours? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from you!
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.
I am a self-confessed chocolate addict. There! I said it and it is true. Chocolate not only tastes great but if you are eating the right type of chocolate, there are some wonderful health benefits to it. Good Day Chocolate is a brand I have been curious about for quite some time. I am a huge fan for life now for the Good Day Chocolate supplement. I received a variety pack to review and I have nothing but good words to say about this line of chocolate. Read on! I have a good feeling that after reading this you will want to give ’em a whirl! Keep reading my Good Day Chocolate review to find out more about his tasty supplement and how it can benefit you.
Good Day Chocolate Supplement
Standard Disclosure: I received these products in exchange for a review. All opinions stated here are my own.
My Good Day Chocolate Review
About Good Day Chocolate Supplement
Good Day Chocolate only uses Fair-Trade certified chocolate in their supplements. It is also vegan-friendly and does not contain any dairy. Their products are not organic but they do promise that they only source premium, Non-GMO ingredients for their products. The coloring on the candy shells is also nothing to worry about because they only use natural coloring to dye the shell (example: green is spirulina). If you are wondering about calories, the candies are about 60-70 calories per 4 piece serving which is not too shabby.
The Good Day Chocolate Supplements – 6 varieties of different supplements
Good Day Chocolate Energy Supplement
I often feel sluggish in the day and need some kind of a pick-me-up to kick my butt in gear. The first Good Day Chocolate supplement that I decided to try was the energy pack. My first impression when I took my first taste was, “WOWZA! These are fantastic!” It was around 5pm and I am pretty bold when it comes to caffeine so I decided to try out the entire pack. The box claims that 8 of these candies will have me “jumping Jupiter”. They certainly did perk me up! I do not recommend eating the whole box if you are sensitive to caffeine. Please just take it nice and slow! There are 20mg of caffeine per piece. For reference, 1 cup of coffee contains approximately 95 mg of caffeine.
I often go to bed early so I can be an early riser and get my fitness in for the day. I wanted to stay up late, though, to watch Doctor Pimple Popper. Good Day Chocolate did not let me down. The show was over at 11 pm and I made it through the entire show without any jitters. I just felt good and I felt alive. I also had no problems whatsoever falling asleep. It was just good, clean fuel for my body.
Energy – Good Day Chocolate
Good Day Chocolate Calm Stress & Anxiety Relief Supplement
The Good Day Chocolate Calm pack is great for those that experience anxiety. The main ingredient in this chocolate is l-theanine. This chocolate has a nice, calming effect. Two chocolates will have the “chill pill” effect, 4 will have you “feeling fine”, 6 is “hello mellow”, and 8 will have you “maxin & relaxin”. The calm pack is also great for winding down in the evening.
The next Good Day Chocolate supplement that I tried out was the turmeric pack. Each box has 800mg of turmeric. Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, is full of antioxidants, and it is also known to boost brain function. So this would be great for post-workout.
Turmeric supplement – Good Day Chocolate
Good Day Chocolate Probiotic Supplement
The Good Day Chocolate Probiotic Supplement is great when you need some balance in your gut. Each box contains 8 billion CFUs (colony forming units). I felt pretty regular after taking a small dose of these for a few days.
Probiotics supplement by Good Day Chocolate
Good Day Chocolate Vitamin D3 Supplement
Good Day Chocolate Vitamin D3 Supplement is like eating the sunshine! My doctor told me that I was deficient in Vitamin D earlier this year and I am on a 4000 IU dose. Each chocolate contains 1000 IU (international units) of Vitamin D3. So for me, I needed to eat 4 pieces of chocolate instead of my two tablets that I take at night-time. Vitamin D is helpful for mood, bone health (helps calcium absorption), and immunity.
Good Day Chocolate Vitamin D supplement
Good Day Chocolate Sleep Supplement
I really enjoyed the Good Day Chocolate Sleep Supplement to help me combat my ongoing issue with insomnia. Each piece contains 1mg melatonin and they suggest taking this supplement 30-60 minutes before bedtime. These worked like a charm for me! Good Day Chocolate suggests starting small with this supplement and slowly work your way up to more if you feel that you need more. For me, a 4mg dose was my sweet spot.
Sleep supplement from Good Day Chocolate is very effective!How many Good Day Chocolate Sleep Supplements to takeSupplement facts for Good Day Chocolate Sleep
Good Day Chocolate Supplements For Children
Good Day Chocolate also has a line of supplements for your little one! I did not get a chance to have my daughter review these products but I will be placing an order soon so she can try these out. There is a multivitamin, probiotic, sleep, and calm supplement. If you are interested in trying all of them with your child they do offer a variety pack. The current price for a variety pack is $12 on Amazon.
Which supplement will you be giving a whirl now that you read my Good Day Chocolate review? Leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts.
PIN FOR LATER!
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional and this post is not to be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your doctor if you have questions/concerns about starting a new supplement.
Save at Kettle & Fire with coupon code WHIRLGIRL! Click the banner above to shop Kettle & Fire Bone Broth and soups!
My husband has a new work schedule which clears his Fridays and Saturdays for family togetherness time. The last two days were full of fun and there were so many cooking/baking frenzies happening over her in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen! My family gets so much pleasure a food-filled weekend. This will be an ongoing series of our weekend adventures. More to come soon! Our two days together kicked off on Friday morning with some Unicorn French Toast. I have a major weakness for paleo-friendly French toast. I am always brainstorming some new ways to prepare it. It actually might just be “paleo-ish” and “healthy-ish” because I just had to add a sprinkling of candy sprinkles on there… another major weakness of mine. This was a total blast to make for breakfast and even more fun to sit down, eat, and enjoy it! I think this was next-level French toast because for this batch I made a vanilla custard batter to dip & soak the bread slices in.
Chillin on the steps
Unicorn French Toast for breakfast! YUMMY
Unicorn French ToastUnicorn French Toast
Miles Cake & Candy Supply
Later on that day (Friday) I had my husband chauffeur me to the baking supply shop in Clinton Township~ Miles Cake & Candy Supply. I used to visit this store often when I made resin jewelry. I would shop there for sprinkles to preserve in the resin. Now that phase of life is done and over with and I am buying these things for actual baking! I went there with the intention of purchasing a donut pan and I did score a nice pan from Wilton. It is a six cavity mold so you end up with a half-dozen of baked donuts.
rainbow sprinkles galore!
Milestone Grill Restaurant
Friday evening we were looking for a new place to dine at. We found a coupon for a restaurant in Eastpointe, MI I and it was the Milestone Grill. Our meals there were quite disappointing if I am going to be blunt about it. I ordered some baked whitefish with a cup of lobster bisque. When I see lobster bisque as an option I do get quite giddy and excited about it. Oh man… my soup came out and I then discovered (and I am certain of this) that it was FAUX LOBSTER! You know, like the fake crab stick meat. Yeah. Ugh. I recently ordered lobster biqsue at Nino Salvaggio’s and that soup was chockful of big lobster meat pieces. That bowl of soup there was just divine. The soup at Milestone Grill was a major letdown.
My baked whitefish was just ok to me. Pretty bland if you ask me and also my steamed vegetables looked quite dull. Joe had some chicken fajitas. When you order fajitas you expect Spanish rice. They served the fajitas with a RICE PILAF with peas and carrots in it. What???
Rochester Mills Milkshake Stout
I do have one nice remark about that place… my beer was great! I ordered a Rochester Mills Milkshake Stout. Boy, was it ever good! I have tried their other beers in the past and they never disappoint. Any kind of stout with a dessert-like flavor is right up my alley of the tasty department… wink wink!
Rochester Mills Beer Co. Milkshake Stout
Homemade chocolate donuts with the Wilton Donut Pan
Saturday started off with me whipping out my new Wilton donut pan. I could not wait to use it. I found a recipe at Elana’s Pantry and used that for inspo. So shoutout to Elana’s Pantry for the amazing recipe.
The recipe called for four eggs. I only had two eggs to work with so I ended up making my own “egg”. Did you know that you can use chia seeds in place of eggs in a recipe? You need 1 tablespoon of chia seeds for each egg. You add three tablespoons of water to that and let it soak for a bit.
If you ever had a devil’s food Entenmann’s donut these sure did resemble that as far as the taste goes. The great thing about these donuts for me is that they are gluten-free. I used coconut flour to make them. I am pretty fond of coconut flour being used in recipes. I think it injects a great flavor into the final product. I used a generous scoop of LivFit Cacao Powder in the donuts. Cacao powder is an incredible superfood with some wonderful health benefits so I am excited to use it in my recipes.
Paleo (minus the sprinkles) Chocolate DonutsPaleo (minus the sprinkles) Chocolate Donuts
Taking my Thunderbird Bars to Eastern Market in Detroit
The remainder of our Saturday was all planned out to head down to the city (Detroit) to go check out Eastern Market. I packed up my camera bag and brought along some of my Thunderbird Bars for the journey. I also had some of the ThunderKids Bars so I brought that along for my daughter, Chloe. It was our first time trying them and they were simply delicious. They offer a great line of bars with healthy and nutritious ingredients… real food! Their flavor combinations are quite unique. They are also filling. They are perfect for fueling your next adventure. I look forward to trying out the rest of my sampler pack.
Thunderbird Bar – Pineapple Mango PapayaThunderbird Bar for kids – Chocolate chip cookie
MooTown Creamery
We always love to visit MooTown Creamery during a visit to Eastern Market. I ordered a Maple Bourbon scoop, which I believe was paleo! How often do you find options like that at an ice-cream shop? I was so excited to see that and I was very pleased with the taste! Two thumbs up!
MooTown Creamery
Vegan and Gluten-free ice-cream options
Maple Bourbon ice-cream
Eastern Market veggie haul!
After our ice-cream pitstop, we went to the sheds to look for some gorgeous fruits and veggies. Eastern Market is the place to be if you want great deals on great foods! You can check out my awesome haul in the photo below. I am most excited about those purple carrots. I was hoping to find them there and I scored a batch. I am going to serve them as a side dish with an herbed ghee sirloin steak.
Eastern Market produce haulCould not pass up this mushroom blend… YUMJoe and Chloe
One of my favorite places to go! Heidelberg Project in Detroit
We always make it a priority to stop at the Heidelberg Project during our Detroit day-trips. Tyree Guyton is constantly adding to this outdoor art installation. It truly is something that everyone should witness at least once in their lifetime.
Homemade from-scratch PIZZA!
It was a long day that made me feel a bit tired when I arrived home but I was bound and determined to make my family a couple made-from-scratch gluten-free pizzas. I had a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Pizza Crust Mix and it was simple and easy to use.
I also love to make my own sauce. I use Muir Glen tomato sauce and Muir Glen Tomato Paste to make a nice, zesty sauce. I used my pizza seasoning packet that I picked up at Eastern Market. Spice Miser made the seasoning and it was a great blend! I would have never thought to add anise and rosemary to my pizza sauce but it gave it a great flavor and it was the best pizza sauce I have made to date.
My family of 3 ate both 12 inch pizzas with one last slice leftover. We were too stuffed to eat that lone piece. Making a from-scratch pizza is a long process that requires dedication and time. It sure is rewarding though to sit down and enjoy your kitchen creation. To me, a homemade pizza is edible art!
My daughter, Chloe, also helped me make this pizza. It was her first time helping out with a pizza. I am spending more and more time with her in the kitchen. I see her passion for cooking and baking and it warms my heart and soul. She is my little foodie sidekick. For an 8-year-old child she has experienced a vast array of foods. She eats with an open mind and I am so proud of her! She currently wants to become a pastry chef. We owe that all to the Netflix show, Sugar Rush. We love watching that show together. She also loves Nailed It but we watched every episode of that already. She loves the show so much that she told me it is her birthday wish for me to make it onto the show. That would totally be a dream come true!
It is currently Sunday morning and I started the day off with a bang in the kitchen. I made some carrot cake donuts but my glaze was too thin. I can assure you that they were tasty because I ate two of them. I used one of my purple carrots to top the donuts and it really does look like chopped bacon! This recipe was inspired by Paleo Hacks. They are a great resource for paleo recipes.
Maranatha Almond Butter Fruit-Loaded Toast
Last but not least, Chloe had a piece of toast with some chocolate Maranatha almond butter on it. I also added some strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries to it. She is a big fan of toast like this. I know avocado toast is all the rage these days but for her it is berries, berries, and more berries!
I always love to crank out a great Sunday dinner but I have not made up my mind yet. It is either going to be an orange duck or sirloin steaks.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Wow! What a long post! If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. I truly appreciate and love all of my readers. I am hoping to make this blog into something so fantastic someday. It is baby steps all of the way there. Thanks to all who are holding my hand to get to that destination with this blog. XOXO
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS (no extra cost to you). ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.
There are so many ways you can make your own granola bars at home. Making my own is a fun, rewarding experience for me. I ask my 8-year-old daughter, Chloe, to help with the stirring because she has some good muscles for her age and you really have to give them a big stir with the spatula. For these granola bites I used gluten-free ingredients and also paleo-friendly ingredients. No sugar was added to these, they are naturally sweet from the Medjool dates and raw honey. These are a great snack that you can just grab and go. I hope you love these paleo granola bars as much as we did. They sure went quick!
The first step is to heat up some water on the stove so you can soak/soften up your Medjool dates. They will be easy to process if soaked for a few minutes. Place 1 cup (apx 8 dates) into a warm bowl of water and soak for a few minutes.
You will then heat up a tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan. Once the oil is warm add 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut and cook until golden in color.
Using a food processor, place your dates inside and blend them up until no lumps remain.
You will need a large mixing bowl for this next step. Place the date mixture, oats, raw honey, almond butter (you might need to warm this up to soften it), desired quantity of chocolate chips (1/4 cup works best), and chia seeds in a large bowl. Stir until well combined.
Line an 8×8 square cake pan with parchment paper. Place granola bar mixture in the lined pan and spread until flat and the mixture reaches the edges. You can use a flat-bottom measuring cup to help press the mixture down.
Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Slice into bite-sized bars and enjoy.
Keep refrigerated to maintain freshness.
Toasted coconut and Medjool dates soaking
Processed Medjool dates
Maranatha Almond Butter warmed up
Madhavea raw honey
Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips
Simple Truth black chia seeds
Ready to stir all of the ingredients
Press the ingredients into a parchment paper -lined pan
Toasted coconut, chocolate, and chia granola bites ready to eat
Have you ever made your own granola bars? What do you like inside yours? Let me know in the comments!
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.
This week’s Friday Faves will focus on items that will help you along your way with baking. I will include some baking essentials and also some other items that look worth splurging on! This will be part one of this list. There are a ton of other baking items out there that I have my eye on so I will do another baking essentials list in the near future.
I have recently fallen head-over-heels in love with baking. It is something that I am very passionate about. I know the appearance of my baked goods is not yet top notch like a professional’s work. My baking technique is something that I am determined to perfect so someday I can have some drool-worthy looking goodies. I will say this, though, the flavor is usually spot-on and I do nail that! Some will say that is all that matters but I also want my baked goods to look more visually appealing.
I already have a KitchenAid mixer on my countertop and it has a permanent home there. I have the smaller one with a black, glittery finish. I would consider a stand mixer an essential item for a person who is serious about baking. These mixers are heavy duty and designed to last a lifetime. How pretty is this pink (Guava Glaze) color? Love!
A hand mixer is another essential tool for the at home baker. These will help combine ingredients. This particular KitchenAid model comes in 5 speeds and is also available in a huge variety of colors. This Green Apple color just so happens to be my favorite.
This immersion hand blender comes in a variety colors. It has an ergonomic handle and can perform different blending techniques. These are a great kitchen gadget that can also help with other tasks in the kitchen and not just used for baking.
I own a set of Circulon bakeware in the chocolate color and I am totally impressed with the quality. Their line has a truly wonderful non-stick coating on it and I have never had any problems getting my items to come out of these pans. This set is wonderful for getting you started on your baking journey and I love that this set includes a cake pan with a cover.
Whisking will be a bore no more with this colorful rainbow whisk set! This set includes 3 whisks in various sizes so you will have a whisk to get every job done, big or small!
I went shopping at Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace this past weekend and that is my go-to place for unusual fruits and vegetables. They carry the mainstream and also the more obscure. If you are looking for beautiful produce, Nino’s is the place to be. You can tell that they are super picky about what kind of produce is allowed to hit the shelves because it all looks beautiful and perfect! This past weekend we went to the exotic fruit section and decided on bringing home a couple cactus pears, also known as a prickly pear cactus. Imagine my surprise when I sliced into it and discovered that it is a vibrant hot-pink, magenta color. I had no idea this cactus pear had such a gorgeous interior! I was thinking hmmm maybe cactus pear smoothie? Keep reading to find out how you can make this delightful pink drink with my cactus pear smoothie recipe!
Nino Salvaggio’s
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I did a bit of research before eating the cactus pear. I sliced the skin off and I noticed that it had quite a few hard seeds inside. They are not something you can bite into but they are safe to swallow. When I blended this up in a smoothie the seeds got ground up in the blender.
So the taste? Super sweet like candy, a cross between juicy watermelon and bubble gum!
Here is a recipe for a cactus pear smoothie that you can have all to yourself or share with a loved one! I shared mine with my adventurous eater, Chloe Pearl, who is 8 years old and loves trying new things with me.
Cactus Pear Smoothie
Cactus Pear Smoothie Recipe
cactus pear
cactus pear diced
banana
fresh raspberries
unsweetened almond milk
Cactus Pear Smoothie Recipe With Raspberries
This delightful hot pink smoothie drink not only looks incredible but it tastes great too and it is a healthy choice to make!
2 Cactus pears (Peeled)
1 Frozen banana
1 handful Raspberries
1/3 cup Unsweetened almond milk
Place all of the ingredients in your blender.
Blend until smooth.
Serve, eat, and enjoy!
Cactus Pear Raspberry SmoothieChloe enjoying her cactus pear smoothie
Tidbits of info on the cactus pear:
Cactus pears grow on the Nepales Cacti and these plants can be found in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Egypt, and Morrocco
Cactus pears can be used to make smoothies, candy, syrups, jams/jellies, wine, juice, pies, and more! Get creative!
They have anti-inflammatory benefits and also have anti-viral perks
High in fiber and rich in antioxidants
Can be used to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetics
They can help strengthen hair and nails
The average cactus pear has 60 calories, 14 g of carbohydrates, and 5 grams of fiber.
The fiber in the cactus pear can help with weight loss since the fiber makes you feel full longer.
Do not consume large amounts at first. They have been known to have side effects so please research before consuming large amounts. This does not affect everyone but some may get side effects.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Please do research on how this may benefit or impact you.
I hope that this cactus pear smoothie recipe will inspire you to give it a whirl! This hot pink concoction is simple and easy to do with your blender and home and it is a fantastic smoothie recipe that you will want to incorporate into your morning smoothie regimen.
So have you ever tried a cactus pear? How did you eat yours? If you have not tried it yet does this look like something you would try? Leave me a comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Yesterday and the day before were both dreary, overcast days in Michigan. I really needed a plateful of something to cheer me up. In times of need, we often turn to comfort food. Pancakes, for me, definitely fit the bill for that! I also decided to inject some color to them for added smiles! I have been opting for more gluten-free food products in my diet. I have been feeling a whole lot better both physically and mentally. I have been keeping track of my diet and I have come to the conclusion that gluten somehow affects my mood and I often feel run down and fatigued. So for now I am just doing my best to avoid it and keep my gluten intake at a minimal amount.
I am a big fan of Enjoy Life Foods products. I am currently obsessed with the dark chocolate chips and it is the only brand I buy now. They offer a line of gluten-free, vegan, products that are free from several other allergens (wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, casein, soy, egg, sesame, sulfites, lupin, mustard, fish, shellfish & crustaceans). Their products are created in an allergen-free facility. You can enjoy their foods with confidence that they will do your body good.
I tried out the Enjoy Life Foods pancake and waffle mix a couple times before and my daughter and I loved the finished product. They don’t hold up well for waffles but they do make a wonderful pancake. The taste of these pancakes was on point! I would never even know they were gluten-free because they taste just like regular pancakes.
I wanted to amp it up a bit so I swapped out the water and used Bolthouse FarmsUnsweetened Plant Protein Milk instead. An 8 oz serving of this milk is a whopping 10 grams of protein. I also used a mashed banana in the mix to add in some fiber. A banana has approximately 3 grams of fiber.
I also added some Simple Truth natural food coloring to the pancake mix. I am not a fan of artificial dyes in my food so I wanted to give this a whirl. Unfortunately, the colors are not as vibrant as the artificial ones but they are still fun to eat. Next time I make these I will experiment more with the amount I use (probably needed to use more). The batter was colorful and bright but when the pancakes were cooked the color faded. Perhaps you will have more luck with the colors!
Stack of Enjoy Life Foods natural color pancakes with rainbow sprinkles
Now let’s get busy with the recipe!
Products I used to make the banana protein Enjoy Life Foods pancakes.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Enjoy Life Pancake & Waffle Mix
1 1/2 cups Bolthouse Farms Plant Protein Milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 mashed banana
Simple Truth Natural Food Color
Pure maple syrup (optional)
Candy Sprinkles (optional)
Bowls of the pancake mix with natural food color added
Simple Truth Natural Food Color
I was able to put 3 pancakes in the skillet
Recipe:
Prepare your batter by placing the mix, milk, and oil into the bowl and stir until no lumps remain.
Mash 1/2 of a ripe banana and then incorporate this into the mix.
Using 6 bowls, place a small amount of batter into each bowl and add food coloring to each bowl until you have red, orange (red & yellow combined), yellow, green (blue & yellow), blue, and purple (red & blue).
Warm up a tiny bit of coconut oil in a pan, just enough to give it a thin non-stick coating.
Place the batter into the skillet or griddle one color at a time. You may have to do a couple batches to get all 6 pancakes cooked. I used two large skillets simultaneously with 3 colors in each pan.
Cook the pancakes on a medium setting. Flip the pancakes when the edges are noticeably formed. After flipping continue cooking until thoroughly cooked.
Remove pancakes from pan and top with maple syrup and/or candy sprinkles. Enjoy!
Stack of Enjoy Life Foods natural color pancakes with rainbow sprinkles
Stack of Enjoy Life Foods natural color pancakes with rainbow sprinkles
Stack of Enjoy Life Foods natural color pancakes with rainbow sprinkles
Hope you enjoy this fun recipe for Enjoy Life Foods gluten-free pancakes! What Enjoy Life Foods product do you think you would enjoy? Check them out RIGHT HERE!
Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card so you can purchase some Enjoy Life Foods products!
Use the Store Locator to find Enjoy Life products near you.
You can purchase this pancake and waffle mix on Amazon.
You can find Enjoy Life Foods on the following social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a commission if items are purchased through these links with no extra cost to you. I purchased these products and all opinions are my own.
We have all heard the expression, “You will feel like a kid in a candy shop”. Yesterday I was that kid in the candy shop! Last night I came up with the grand idea to visit Roger’s Bulk Candy and Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI. As you may already know I often promote a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet. I believe in living your life and having fun every once in a while though. I feel that eating should be all about BALANCE. I regularly opt for healthy meals but sometimes I like to just cut loose and enjoy whatever the heck I want.
I heard about Roger’s Bulk Candy and Ice-Cream on the news just recently. I could not believe that I lived in the area of this place for so long and had no clue that it even existed. When you first step foot inside you will see an explosion of color, candy, and the huge variety of ice-creams that are available. This place just looks absolutely fun from the first moment that you get a peek inside. This place is floor to ceiling candy wherever your eyes looks.
This was a very exciting excursion for my 8-year-old daughter, Chloe. We ended up going there on a whim and planned it out as a surprise for her. We did not tell her where we were going, we just drove over there.
We had a blast walking around the store and looking at all of the candy that you can help yourself to. It is a bulk candy shop and the candy is sold by weight so you can buy as much or as little as you want. If your sweet tooth is calling, this is the place to be.
Roger’s has been in business for 12 years now. They have over 500 types of candy and they have something for everyone. Seriously, if you have a problem finding a candy to take home with you then maybe you have a problem lol! Most of the candies here are nostalgic candies that date back to your childhood. Seeing these candies sure did bring in a tidal wave of memories!
gumballs galoreHershey Kisses in every colorJones Soda and Stewarts soda
We ended up getting a little variety bag of sour candies. Then it was time to figure out what we were going to get at the ice-cream area of the shop. There is a huge assortment of ice-cream available and if you are seeking out something a little healthier, Roger’s does offer smoothies made with fresh fruit.
We decided we would order a banana-split and share it. This was no ordinary banana-split either. We did not go with the basic vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. We wanted a colorful, Instagram-worthy banana-split with some fun flavors. We chose Superman, cotton candy, and anniversary cake. We had the usual toppings on it: strawberry (on the Superman), pineapple (on top of the cotton candy), and chocolate (topping for anniversary cake). We really were not sure how this would all pan out but this really did come together as a memorable banana split that we all enjoyed!
If you are local to this spot definitely stop in and give it a whirl! This was a wonderful experience for all of us. We also really enjoyed the helpful and friendly staff. Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream will surely put a smile on your face.
What is your favorite kind of candy that takes you back to your childhood? My favorite has always been those little raspberry and blackberry candies. Leave me a comment below!
My daughter, Chloe Pearl, loves when I bust out the blender to whip up a smoothie or smoothie bowl for her. We have an abundance of fruits and veggies over here right now and I am loving every minute of it. This morning we shared a delicious papaya smoothie. Papaya is a fruit that I do not normally have on hand so she was super duper excited when she saw me slicing the papaya and scooping out all of those seeds.
We used half of a papaya, 1 whole banana, a handful of Simple Truth frozen mango, and a handful of Simple Truth pineapple. I used approximately 2/3 cup of Bolthouse Farms Plant Protein milk (unsweetened). We have been using that particular milk for a while now. Ibotta currently has a $2.50 cash-back offer on each bottle that you buy, and Kroger also had it on sale. So I consider that a win!
My daughter really enjoyed her morning smoothie. I had a bit of it as well and I can certainly say that it was quite yummy. I am quite sure that tropical fruits rank pretty high as my favorite.
Tidbits of info on the papaya fruit
A medium sized papaya comes in around 120 calories.
Papayas can aid in digestion. Papayas have an enzyme in them that helps move things along, and they also have a high water and fiber content.
There are two types of papayas: Hawaiian and Mexican. Hawaiian papayas are small (apx 1lb), while Mexican are large. The Mexican papaya can weight in as heavy as 10 pounds!
The seeds of a papaya are, in fact, edible. The seeds have a very strong mustard & peppercorn taste. You can add some honey to them to make them more palatable.
Papaya is often consumed raw but it can be used in recipes to make a sweet sauce.
Papayas have beta-carotene (an antioxidant) in them which can help prevent cancer.
Papayas have a good amount of potassium and vitamins that can help prevent heart disease.
I have been increasing my intake of fruits and veggies and trying to rid my diet of processed foods. There are so many health benefits in these foods it just makes sense to eat them. I have a big weakness for candy. If there is a bag of Sour Patch Kids in front of me I often lose my willpower and eat them. I feel guilty afterward even though I enjoyed them. My point is that it is just best to reach for fruits and veggies when a hunger pang hits. Instead of having a bowl of Fruit Loops for breakfast why not just make yourself a smoothie. They are both filling and nutritious. Your body will thank you for it!
